From the same tasting that brought you the video gem of Greg and I taking down Stone’s Crime, I now bring you the latest in the Better From The Barrel? series featuring Prairie Artisan Ales‘ Prairie Bomb! and Pirate Bomb! Prairie Bomb is an imperial stout aged on coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers and stored in a 12oz wax bottle. The beer is relatively sought after, fitting a recent trend of imperial stouts having chili peppers as an ingredient. I had never had a chili stout (as I call them) aged in a barrel, so having Prairie and Pirate Bomb side-by-side was a real treat. An initial worry I had was that aging a chili-focused beer in any barrel would mute the heat that I think makes the style stand out. Was it better having been aged in a barrel? The reviews below will find out!
Prairie Bomb!
Appearance
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It pours out of the bottle very dark in color, but devoid of head. The head that does ever-so-slightly raise up is brown in color.
Aroma
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I smell a big hit of chili peppers in the beer, as well as some vanilla. I'm initially worried that it's going to blow my mouth away with the heat. But overall this is very sweet, with some chocolate thrown in, so there is a chance of it being balanced.
Taste
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The chocolate shines through the initial sips of the taste, but chilies take it over quickly. Not the most robust pepper taste of the chili stout tasting, these chilies are tolerable and actually pleasant here. I'm not getting as much sweetness, or any vanilla, on the taste. It seems to be more focused on roast, chocolate, and heat. The balance I had hoped for is there.
Mouthfeel/Drinkability
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It has a robust mouthfeel that holds up enough to balance the sweetness from the peppers. The finish makes you crave the sweetness of the initial sips. Peppers do a really good job of hiding alcohol, so here the 14% ABV is hardly noticeable.
Value
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At $12 for a 12oz bottle it would seem to be expensive, but the trading value of this makes it worth it. I definitely would seek this out again. If you like chilies in your stouts, don't wait for them to fade any more by aging this.
Overall
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This beer really lived up to the hype for me. Balanced, delicious, all with an appropriate amount of heat. It brought out the best in a stout and in a chili stout. I can't imagine that barrel aging this beer will improve it, but we will see.
After creating this wonderful concoction, Prairie went to the next level and aged Prairie Bomb in Newport Distilling Company rum barrels. Which leads one to the question, why was the rum gone? Similarly stored in a 12oz waxed bottle, Pirate Bomb hit Oklahoma, and subsequently the trading forums, with extreme interest from the beer community. But, did it actually improve the beer?
Pirate Bomb!
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Like Prairie Bomb, this pours out thick as sludge. It differs in that this actually retains its brown head for a decent amount of time and laces somewhat down the side of the glass.
Aroma
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The rum barrel aging has certainly changed this beer. The aroma is much more sweet, even considering I pegged Prairie Bomb as having a sweet aroma. Spiced rum definitely takes over, with notes of vanilla, caramel, booze, and 'agitated' wood. It seems to be a bit disjointed, which doesn't bode well for the taste.
Taste
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My first question is, sadly...where did the peppers go? All of the balance that Prairie Bomb offered is gone because the heat is almost non-existent. The taste is very much focused on the rum, which allows for the sweetness to take over. Chocolate, roast, and slight vanilla mostly, the taste of the beer is screaming for some heat.
Mouthfeel/Drinkability
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The body is roughly as thick as Prairie Bomb, but the increased amount of booze, faded peppers, and negatively impacted balance make for a minus in the drinkability category.
Value
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At $15 for this 12oz bottle, I'd say it was too much for its worth. Pay less and get a better beer for Prairie Bomb.
Overall
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This was a pretty big disappointment. I really loved the base beer for this, and had hoped it could get better. I guess I was too greedy. The barrel aging muted the base, bringing it back to the pack. It amazes me that Pirate Bomb has a better trading value than Prairie Bomb, because if you've tried both you probable would attest to the fact that Prairie Bomb blows it out of the water. I'm sad to think that there could be this much more Prairie Bomb on the market, because I want to drink it all.
